OUR LEGAL STAFF
Meet Our Staff
Mariana R. Castro
Case Manager, Mariana R. Castro, is a proud “Old Pueblo” native and U of A Wildcat. Mariana has been a personal injury paralegal case manager at Karnas Law since 2012 . Mariana has consistently won many awards for her outstanding client service . She’s fluent in Spanish and English. Mariana graduated from Sahuaro High School in 1998. She then took some time off from school to work and financially contribute to her single-parent household after the loss of her father, Pablo Romero. She then recognized the importance and real power behind higher education and graduated from the University of Arizona in 2009 where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Sciences, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business.
Mariana is a member of the AZ State Bar Association as well as the Tucson Paralegal Association, where she enjoys networking and volunteering for the community under their programs. With the support of charitable donations, she can create and organize such as Karnas Kostumes during Halloween and the Karnas Kids Back to School Drive in the Tucson office.
Mariana also enjoys hiking and traveling abroad. As a true Arizonan, Ms. Castro is a loyal Arizona Diamondbacks and Cardinals fan. Ms. Castro demonstrates only determination and persistence in providing Karnas Law Firm, PLLC, and its clients with quality case management. Under the supervision of “Koach Karnas,” she places herself in the clients’ shoes and helps achieve the most desirable and fastest outcome for clients and their families.
Tina Campos
Tina Campos is a native Tucsonan, a proud mother, and a complete sports fanatic. Tina is fluent in Spanish and English and an award winning personal injury case manager paralegal. She attended Sunnyside High School and graduated top 10% in her 1983 class. She took accounting courses at Pima Community College and the University of Arizona. When her mother took ill she was forced to quit school to help take care of her 6 siblings.
Tina entered the workforce with her first job at the Tucson Border Patrol. She was an office aide and helped in the Administrative and Anti-Smuggling departments. Eventually, she began her career in the legal field as a legal assistant for a criminal defense firm. She transitioned to personal injury and has worked her way to Case Manager. Tina has more than 20 years of experience in personal injury. Her goal is to make each client feel as if they are her only client.
Being a native Tucsonan it’s no wonder Tina is a University of Arizona fan. Football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, you name it, she knows stats for it. Ask her any question regarding sports but make sure you have plenty of time for an open discussion. She is a season ticket holder for football, basketball, and softball and never misses a game. If she is outside, she is tailgating and/or attending a sporting event.
Cathy Herrera
Our marketing director and case intake specialist, Catalina (”Cathy“ ) Herrera, was born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, and moved to Yuma, AZ, when she was 5 years old. She is a proud graduate of Yuma High School, “The Crims”. Cathy then graduated with honors from Northern Arizona University in 2010 where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice. Cathy Herrera is fluent in Spanish and English.
Cathy has been with Karnas Law Firm for almost 10 years, and she has been central to developing and growing the Yuma office. In addition to her current position, Cathy has been a case manager and paralegal. Cathy enjoys networking and volunteering for her community events in Yuma, Tucson, and Phoenix. Likewise, she is passionate about helping and educating clients. Cathy’s exceptional client services have won her recognition, respect, and awards from her peers. Call or text Cathy anytime at 928-550-8020.
Maria Alvarado
Maria is an assistant to all our case managers at the firm as well as the accounting department. She has been with the firm since 2014, growing in experience every year. Maria was born in a small rural community of Riito, Sonora, Mexico, but moved to Yuma, AZ, at the age of 12. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, which allows her to communicate effectively in our community. She understands that no single approach is the right one for every case, and so she is determined to work her hardest to give each client the best version of herself. She gives each client an exceptional level of personal attention, including updates on their case throughout the whole process. She takes pride in giving a sense of relief to the victim and their family in times of uncertainty. Currently, Maria is seeking her Associate’s Degree in Accounting through Arizona Western College.
Jocelyn Perez
Jocelyn has worked at Karnas Law Firm since 2019 and consistently advanced in her career. She began as a front desk coordinator and now is a personal injury case manager. She is bilingual, Spanish and English. Jocelyn Perez graduated from Cibola High School in 2017. Her love for numbers and mathematics motivated her to pursue an accounting degree at Arizona Western College. Jocelyn enjoys traveling and exploring new places. She would love to travel to New York City to visit the museums and visit the Statue of Liberty monument.
Jocelyn has recently joined the KLAW team as an administrative assistant and has been learning the field of personal injury law.
Charlene Surgeon
Charlene Surgeon was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After graduating high school Charlene relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1994 to start a career in banking. She spent most of the next nine years working for companies such as Bank of America and Chase Bank. Charlene then earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice and a bachelor’s degree in Business.
Later in 2007, Charlene moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she spent the next nine years working as an Operations Manager for a collections Law firm. Now she Works for Karnas Law Firm as a litigation paralegal.
To contact any of our staff, or to speak to a Tucson & Yuma Personal Injury Attorney, call us at (520) 571-9700.
